Sewing machine attachment



March 30, 1965 J. E. GAUDET SEWING MAG HINE ATTACHMENT Filed Sept. 16, 1965 ATTORNEY United States Patent SEWING MACHINE ATTACHMENT Joseph Emmanuel Gaudet, 113 Cathedrale St, Sherhrooke, Quebec, Canada Filed Sept. 16, 1963, Ser. No. 309,127 5 Claims. (Cl. 51-257) The invention relates to an improvement to sewing machines and particularly to an improvement whereby the usefulness of the machine is extended to include the possibility of using it for sharpening and grinding needles, scissors, knives and the like implements.

The invention contemplates the addition to the balance wheel of a sewing machine, of a grinding wheel; it further contemplate the provision of a removable cap portion over the grinding wheel and of a retractable guide memher.

The grinding wheel characteristic of the present in "ention is permanently secured to the outside face of the balance wheel of a sewing machine, and it has the shape of an annular band of a solid abrasive; the outside diameter of the band being slightly less than the outside diameter of the balance wheel. The \annular band of abrasive material has a substantial thickness across which is its working surface; the working surface being obtusely conical so as to allow clearance by any blade applied thereon, of the central knob of the balance wheel assembly which generally projects outwardly from the outside plane thereof.

It is an important advantage of the invention that it permits the sharpening of scissors, an operation that cannot commonly, conveniently, and effectively be carried out by means of any of the grinding attachments previously sug gested for use in combination with a balance wheel and already known to the present inventor.

The invention also provides for an adjustable work guide on which the blade or tool may be caused to rest as on a support during grinding land/or sharpening operation. Such a guide should stand in front of the grinding surface and be retractable so as to liberate the peripheral area of the balance wheel to permit using the latter in connection with other attachments o for normal operation.

A more detailed and perhaps clearer understanding of the invention will be had in the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention and in reference to the appended drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the left-side end of a sewing machine embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of only a portion of the rim of a balance wheel embodying my invention and showing the manner in which it is used to smoothen or polish a needle point; and

FIG. 3 is a half radial plane section through a balance wheel similar to that shown in FIG. 1.

The balance wheel or flywheel 1 is seen to consist of a central hub portion 2, through which it is adapted on the main shaft of the sewing machine the body of which is shown in dotted line and generally identified by reference numeral 3. An inwardly facing disc 4 at the rear of the balance wheel 1 is designed for frictionally contacting a corresponding disc on the main shaft of the machine, so as to provide for frictional locking engagement between the main shaft and the balance wheel when both discs are pressed or urged against one another by the action of a central screw knob 5 the head of which, upon screwing into the end of the main shaft, is brought to bear with increasing pressure against the outside end of the hub portion 2. By loosening or untightening the central knob 5 the locking engagement of the main shaft with the balance wheel is gradually reduced until, for all practical purposes the balance wheel is in free wheeling relation with respect to the main shaft and vice versa.

Most modern sewing machines are electrically powered by means of a variable speed electric motor. A drive belt usually connecting the motor to the balance wheel in a manne such that when the clutch mechanism is engaged, the sewing mechanism will operate, whereas when it is disengaged only the balance wheel will rotate. In the embodiment shown in the drawing, the cylindrical surface 6 is particularly intended to receive such a drive belt.

The balance wheel 1 has a massive metal rim 7 from which it derives the greater portion of its essential inertial characteristics. In accordance with the invention, there is provided on the outside face of the rim 7 a grinding ring 8 of substantial thickness and presenting a conioally profiled outwardly facing grinding surface 9; the grinding surface sloping gently out of the surface plane of the balance wheel so that any straight blade 10, if properly exposed to the said grinding surface 9 for maximum grinding contact therewith, will project inwardly toward the axi of the balance wheel 1 and in front of the central knob 5, missing the latter altogether. This is the situation illustrated in FIG. 1 where it may be observed and appreciated that the conical profile of the grinding surface not only provides fo clearance between the blade 11 of the scissors 11 but also permits the proper sharpening of the whole length of each scissor blade by avoiding the congestion and obstacles resulting from the presence of either the central knob 5 and/or the bulkiness of the adjacent portion of the body or housing 3 of the sewing machine.

For sharpening a needle such as 12 of which the tip may have been damaged, it is sufficient to hold it between two fingers and rotate it slowly in gentle and as nearly tangential contact with the rotating grinding surface 9. This operation may leave the surface of the needle tip in somewhat rough condition. A V-gr-oove 13, is therefore provided at the periphery of the wheel 1 and by pressing the needle tip into contact with the preferably glazed or enameled surface 19 of the groove 13 while the balance wheel 1 rotates, the original smoothness of the needle tip may be easily and rapidly restored.

A cover plate 14 may be removably secured to the central knob 5 by means of a knob headed screw 15 and prevented from rotation relative thereto by means of some short surface projections 16 which are designed for engaging some corresponding holes 17 in the cover plate 14.

The cover plate 14 is smooth and flat surfaced with arcuately and inwardly projecting rim portion 18 extending over the rim 7 of the balance wheel, thereby hiding from view and/ or injurious contact by the hand of the sewing machine operator, with the entire outside surface of the balance wheel and of the grinding ring 8 thereon.

The grinding ring 8 may be retained on the rim 7 in any of a large variety of conventional manners. In the drawing the ring 8 is set in an intentionally corresponding groove 20 and may be retained in place by means of suitable adhesives, resins, set screws or the like.

Because it is essential to retain a firm and unchanging grip on any blade while running it over the grinding surface 9, if a flawless cutting edge is to be obtained thereon, it is essential to the present invention that some means for guiding and bringing the said blade to rest against, be provided. It is also essential that such guiding and resting means he made retractable to some extent in order to clear the peripheral area of the balance Wheel for allowing a free and easy access of the hand of the operator thereto while sewing, and to avoid affecting the good operation of some of the other accessories of the sewing machine such as the accessory whereby, the cassettes of thread may be wound. Thus, on the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 of the drawing, there is provided an adjustable bracket 21 whereon an L-shaped guide 22. is retractably and pivotally secured for rotation about a vertical axis. When in its operative position, the guide 22 has its free leg 25 extending horizontally in front of the grinding surface 9 and in essentially parallel relation thereto. The bracket 21 is prefer-ably adjustably secured to the body of the machine by means of screws 23 in registry with some horizontal slots 24. The purpose of the horizontal adjustability of the bracket 21 is to allow adjustment of the gap between the edge of the leg 25 and the surface 9 of the grinding ring 8.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has just been described, it is to be understood that many changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Grinding and sharpening means on a sewing machine having a body and a balance Wheel on a main shaft horizontally disposed within said body and projecting externally at one end thereof, said grinding and sharpening means com rising:

(a) a grinding wheel in the form of an annular ring presenting an obtuse frustum shaped working surface and secured coaxially on a face of said balance wheel that stands farthest away from said body;

(12) a removable cover over said face and said grinding wheel;

(c) a guide member presenting an arm disposed in front of said grinding wheel and in radially transverse relation with respect thereto;

(d) said guide member being pivotally retractable.

2. Grinding and sharpening means as claimed in claim 1 wherein said guide member has an arm extending around said balanced wheel and is pivotally secured for movement about a vertical axis, to a bracket mounted on said sewing machine body.

3. Grinding and sharpening means as claimed in claim 1 wherein said balance wheel presents a relatively smooth surfaced peripheral groove for polishing needle tips and the like.

4. Grinding and sharpening means as claimed in claim 1 wherein said cover has an arcuately formed-peripheral zone extending over and around said balance wheel.

5. Grinding and sharpening means as claimed in claim 1 wherein said grinding wheel is secured into a corresponding groove in the said face of said balance wheel and retained therein by adhesive means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 544,190 8/95 Norris 51--256 1,008,775 11/11 Beasley 51 257 2,891,349 6/59 Ketterer 51 25s 3,022,612 2/62 Aoyagi 51-256 I, SPENCER OVERHOLSER, Primary Examiner. 

1. GRINDING AND SHARPENING MEANS ON A SEWING MACHINE HAVING A BODY AND A BALANCE WHEEL ON A MAIN SHAFT HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED WITHIN SAID BODY AND PROJECTING EXTERNALLY AT ONE END THEREOF, SAID GRINDING AND SHARPENING MEANS COMPRISING: (A) A GRINDING WHEEL IN THE FORM OF AN ANNULAR RING PRESENTING AN OBTUSE FRUSTUM SHAPED WORKING SURFACE AND SECURED COAXIALLY ON A FACE OF SAID BALANCE WHEEL THAT STANDS FARTHEST AWAY FROM SAID BODY; (B) A REMOVABLE COVER OVER SAID FACE AND SAID GRINDING WHEEL; (C) A GUIDE MEMBER PRESENTING AN ARM DISPOSED IN FRONT OF SAID GRINDING WHEEL AND IN RADIALLY TRANSVERSE RELATION WITH RESPECT THERETO; (D) SAID GUIDE MEMBER BEING PIVOTALLY RETRACTABLE. 